


Rising

by jaimistoryteller



Series: Fall and Rise [2]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 12:06:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14164491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaimistoryteller/pseuds/jaimistoryteller
Summary: Resurrection time, with some sass and fluff





	Rising

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Venstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venstar/gifts).



> I know I was supposed to wait 24 hours, however I wanted it posted in March, so have it 12 hours later instead.

Q’s POV

Feet pound the pavement, rushing towards him.

Shots are fired and bodies hit the ground.

He listens as everyone executes their parts in the plan in case of a breech. The terrorists die, but so do most of the younger agents and a few of the older ones.

He’s surprised when there is a soft thump beside him.

“Q,” Bond’s voice is nearly broken, a whispered plea.

It’s difficult to keep himself still, to keep from reacting, but the scene hasn’t finished. The band on his wrist would have alerted him if it had. Instead he gets to stay still on the cool cement and wait.

“How’d this happen?” Cold fury seeps into the agent’s tone, the broken tone fading away.

Calloused fingers lightly touch his eyelids, shutting them.

He listens as a ragged breath is drawn in before Bond shoves away from him and stands.

In his ear, the program rattles off information, having reached the checkpoint he had programmed in.  He lets the words wash over him, letting him know who is still standing, who has ‘died’, and how things are progressing.

“Who are we finding and killing?” It surprises him to hear Trevelyan, wasn’t he on assignment in Germany? He definitely wasn’t on the roster for this exercise.

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” Bond growls. “There has to be at least one system still working that we can get into.”

Logically, he knows that the agent can use a computer, despite his teasing to the contrary. It still surprises him to hear.

He listens as the agents leave, and the system updates him as the small group made up of Bond, Trevelyan, Moore, and the new kid, Williams, clear the scene. They end in last lab where the exercise is supposed to finish- not that they know that.

As his arm band warms, he stretches and stands, glancing around to check and see the results.

“Right then,” he mutters, using his phone to open a hidden door that leads directly to the last lab. He needs to release the wake up chemical agent as well for those who were knocked out to keep them from interfering. The tricky part of designing this program was keeping the agents from killing each other with their very real bullets.  Of course the other tricky part was knocking each other out.

His lips twitch into the ghost of a smirk as his program rattles off reactions as the various agents, minions, and workers wake up.

When he gets to the last lab, he waits behind the screen for everyone to gather. As each person wakes up, they are being directed here through the room itself. That was another complex problem for him to figure out, how to give a bunch of people without earwigs or phones directions.

As the four are joined by others, many of whom they saw as dead short a short while before, he watches as Bond and Trevelyan share a speaking glance. It’s not until M steps into the room that he uses his phone to turn the program off. Instantly the walls of the lab vanish, and the area is replaced by the lowest level work room.

There’s definitely a bit of an uproar as everyone not a Double O or M start shouting in shock, anger, or confusion.

“Quiet,” M demands, eyes hard as they scan over everyone.

A hush spreads through the gathered crowd.

He steps out of his shadowy corner, approaching their director with sure if a bit measured steps. His entire body aches. There will definitely be tweaking of the program in future. He hadn’t anticipated feeling like he got hit by electricity.  “Sir,” he greets M, “I’d say it went better than expected. I’ll have the report on movements and actions for you tomorrow.”

Mallory nods once in agreement. “You have all participated in the trial run of our new training program. We decided that first trial would be done unaware to catch any bugs in the system. Movements, sounds, sights, and smells that seemed wrong to each of you. To that end, you will each be debriefed before returning to your stations and duties.”

He’s moderately certain that’s not what any of them want to hear, according to the next wave of noise that floods from most the people in the room.

A steely glare silences them.

Using his phone, he calls in the five he had pre-selected to assist in this process. Three minutes later stations are set up for each of them.

“I will debrief the Double O’s and executives,” he informs his team.

“We thought that might be the case and came prepared with lists for each of us,” Thompson replies with a brief smile.

Turning his attention back to M, he motions towards his station, “Sir.”

The interviewing process goes faster than expected, considering all of the questions and answers that need to be entered.

He’s startled to discover that Bond is the very last of the people that he needs interview. Everyone else has completed theirs and left already. Even his interviewing staff have cleared out.

“Is this what you were working on, the prototype for the prototype?” the agent queries as he settles in the chair across from him.

“Yes, this was one of the versions,” he agrees as he opens the file. Instinct tells him that this interview is not going to be as smooth as the others.

“Why?” The unexpected rough quality is back. That nearly broken tone that made him ache to reassure the agent it was all a test, an illusion earlier. It’s definitely something to consider closely. They’re friends, or something akin to friends, but he hadn’t expected his potential death to be so unnerving.

“I could ask the same,” he retorts, deciding not to answer just yet.

Silence drags on between them long enough that he’s not expecting an answer. He’s getting ready to begin the debriefing proper when Bond starts speaking, voice raw as if every word is dragged from the depths of his soul. “I didn’t expect it to feel like someone had ripped a lung out seeing you on the ground like that. Of all the deaths I have caused or failed to prevent, yours would have devastated me the most.”

He blinks, not sure what to say to that.

“Ask your questions Q.” The agent sounds exhausted, even though it doesn’t show on his face.

“Right,” he agrees, clearing his throat and beginning the debrief.

There is a brief pause when they’re done. Blue eyes study him closely before Bond shoves to his feet and heads to the door, hands tucked in his pockets. Uncharacteristically, the agent says nothing as he leaves.

In a split second decision, he extends an unexpected invitation, “Dinner tomorrow night James?”

Everything slows as the agent stops, pivoting to study him once more. Almost prowling back to him, Bond stops when they are just a few inches apart. “ _Why_ Q?”

He tips his head slightly, meeting wary blue eyes as he answers, “I think we have some topics to discuss, and we’re friends.”

A cocky smile teases at the edge of James’ lips. “I’ll cook.”

Chuckling, he nods in agreement. “That works. I was going to suggest a restaurant since I’m not really a cook.”

Stepping just a bit closer, the agent murmurs, “Until then Q.” This time when he turns away he’s almost strutting. What a peacock. 

**Author's Note:**

> Publishing schedule, I will try updating one or two stories on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
> 
> Tumblr about my writing [JaimiStoryTeller](http://jaimistoryteller.tumblr.com/) and twitter @jaimist0
> 
> I love reviews, comments, and any other sort of communication, feel free to stop in to say hi, communication keeps the muses brewing


End file.
